Do not fix your eyes on what you see.
So we look [focus] not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are unseen; for the things which are visible are temporal [just brief and fleeting], but the things which are invisible are everlasting and imperishable—2 Corinthians 4:18 (AMP).
From Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers:
While we look not at the things which are seen.–The “while we look” is, according to the Greek idiom, the condition of what had been stated in the preceding verse. The “look” is that of one who contemplates this or that as the end or goal for which he strives. The “things that are seen” are, of course, all the incidents and circumstances of the present life; the “things that are not seen” (the very phrase of Hebrews 11:1) are the objects of faith, immortality, eternal life, the crown of righteousness, the beatific vision. These things are subject to no time-limits, and endure through all the ages of God’s purposes. The others are but for a brief season, and then are as though they had not been. Striking as the words are, they find an echo in the words of a contemporary seeker after wisdom: “These things (the things which most men seek after),” says Seneca (Ep. lix.), “are but objects of the imagination, and present a show of being but for a time . . . Let us give our minds to the things which are eternal.”
Why bring this up? I am thinking my reason is this verse is only discussed as a cliche rather than a part of Christian life. Most of the sermons and other teachings I have heard view this verse with physical senses and cognitive reasoning just like a philosopher would do. For me, following the Lord demands deliverance from reason, not using reason to justify my faith and understanding.Face it, strong willed people are convinced their feelings, ways and judgments are always right—no matter what anyone else thinks, and no matter what the bible has to say.
For example, look at verse 2 Corinthians 4:17 (AMP): “For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!”
Verse 17 which leads into verse 18 does not focus on the here and now, its focus is on the eternal and verse 18 leads us to conclude that we are not to focus solely of what our senses reveal, but what our spiritual sense points us toward. The Holy Spirit in us is ever trying to move our eyes away from what they see to what the spirit sees.
How can I put this differently? If we have been born again from above our old nature was stripped away and now we are a new creation. Our focus is no longer on the things of this world, our focus has shifted to the Kingdom of God and our Lord Jesus. We continuously focus on what our Father’s will is and not our own. We are still carnal riding along in this sinful world in a sinful vehicle knowing that our final destination is to be with Christ for all eternity. We know our condition, we do not sense our condition, and since we are a new creation born from above we focus on the eternal—at least we should be. I’ll add one divisive part to this: If your focus is on this life alone, and not on the one to come in eternity, I fear you may not be a new creation but a Christian in name only.
Personally, I struggle in this life, knowing that it is tough holding up Jesus’ name and following Him. Nevertheless, I focus on what is not seen, those things of God that cannot be reasoned with, seen, smelled, heard audibly, felt with the body, or tasted with the mouth.
In Galatians 5:16 (AMP) Paul tells us—“But I say, walk habitually in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts].” in Verse 26 Paul sums up how we are to be: “If we [claim to] live by the [Holy] Spirit, we must also walk by the Spirit [with personal integrity, godly character, and moral courage–our conduct empowered by the Holy Spirit].”
Finally, in 2 Corinthians 5:7 (AMP) Pauls tells us how we are to walk: “for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in a manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises].”
And in Hebrews 11:1 (AMP) we are told: “Now faith is the assurance (title deed, confirmation) of things hoped for (divinely guaranteed), and the evidence of things not seen [the conviction of their reality—faith comprehends as fact what cannot be experienced by the physical senses].”
My hope and prayer is that each individual who claims to be a follower of Jesus that you will shift your focus from physical to the spiritual. If you do, your life will change and all the many troubles will no longer weigh you down because now you have turned them of the Jesus and have begun to focus on what God has for you.
May God bless you and open your spiritual eyes so you can see clearly.
Michael
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